ACCT Philly says it has confirmed that Biggie Smalls, a senior dog it transferred to a New Jersey rescue partner, was shot while in that rescue's care — and now the organization that took him in has gone dark, its website blank, its social media pages deactivated, and its founder unreachable. The shelter says the allegations came to light on Tuesday, setting off a scramble to account for dozens of other dogs placed with the same group.
Biggie Smalls was a senior dog with medical issues when ACCT Philly transferred him to Gone Rogue Girls, a New Jersey-based rescue partner, according to 6abc Philadelphia. He had originally arrived at ACCT Philly as a stray with no known behavioral issues, though he did have health concerns related to a mass, per NBC Philadelphia. ACCT Philly had vetted and worked with Gone Rogue Girls Rescue since 2024, and the rescue had received more than 100 dogs from the shelter during that partnership, the outlet reports.
Conflicting Stories About How Biggie Died
In May, Gone Rogue Girls shared a social media post announcing Biggie's death, according to the same NBC Philadelphia report. ACCT Philly says the time of Biggie's death remains unclear, and the shelter began investigating tips that he had been shot following a biting incident after concerns about the rescue surfaced, including allegations that a dog had been shot, per 6abc. The circumstances surrounding his death have not been verified by police or animal control, the station's report notes.
People with ties to Gone Rogue Girls have pointed to a social media post from the spring stating that Biggie had cancer and had been laid to rest, according to 6abc. But Tyfanee Fortuna, who is helping track down dogs that were in the rescue's care, disputed that account, saying Biggie was never taken to a veterinarian and was never diagnosed with cancer. Fortuna said donations were requested in Biggie's memory after he had already been shot a month earlier, per the outlet's report.
Shelter Pulls All Dogs, Launches Search
ACCT Philly has since removed all dogs from Gone Rogue Girls' care and created an online portal containing medical histories for the animals that had been transferred to the rescue, according to the same account. The shelter says it also received information from other rescue partners indicating that Gone Rogue Girls had transferred dogs to them as well, suggesting the group's network extended beyond its own listed adopters.
Fortuna is now investigating reports that some dogs from the rescue may be unaccounted for, and she said many dogs were listed in records as deceased or returned to their owner, per 6abc's reporting. Some of those rescue records reportedly listed an adopter's address as “I don't know drive” and listed email addresses simply as “I don't know,” according to the outlet.
Rescue Goes Silent as Police Say They're Aware
Multiple listed phone numbers for Gone Rogue Girls Rescue and its owners have been disconnected, and the rescue's website is blank while its social media accounts have been taken down, according to NBC Philadelphia's reporting. Pemberton Township police, where the rescue was located, told 6abc they are aware of the allegations but said they could not comment on the situation at this time. NBC Philadelphia separately reported that Pemberton Township police declined to comment when contacted about the case.
ACCT Philly requires rescue partners to provide references and have prior shelter experience before approving a partnership, according to 6abc's report. The shelter is now reviewing how it works with rescue organizations and considering changes to its approval process, per the NBC Philadelphia account. New Jersey law, under Public Law 2011, Chapter 142, directs the state's Department of Health to maintain a voluntary registry of animal rescue organizations, according to a New Jersey Department of Health document.
